MANILA City Mayor Isko Moreno on Tuesday led the groundbreaking ceremony marking the resumption of construction of the 10-story building of Ramon Magsaysay High School in Sampaloc, Manila, vowing to complete the project in 12 months. Moreno said the city government would ensure that the school facility is finished on time to help address overcrowding and improve the student-teacher ratio in Manila’s public schools. “When we try to cure and address the universally accepted student-teacher ratio in a classroom, we don’t address it for today; we must address it 10 years from now,” he said. He acknowledged the years of delay, which left parents, teachers and students uncertain about the project’s completion. Moreno also assured parents that students would no longer be exposed to construction hazards or disorder once the building is completed. “I assure you next year, at the same time, we will inaugurate Magasaysay High School,” he said. Once completed, the building will feature 209 fully air-conditioned classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, 4 science laboratories, a library, and an e-library, among other facilities. He said the city government wants public school students to experience facilities comparable to those in private schools. “If this does not finish in 1 year, bring back the money,” he said in Filipino, assuring school officials that construction would proceed without further disruption and that students would return to a fully finished campus environment.